Vandread: The Next Empire
by The 483
Summary: Sequel to The Next Experement. A year after Earth fell, it is sweeping across the universe, conquering all that is in it's path. as usual, a new threat emerges.
1. The Planet of Death

Vandread, The Next Empire 

Sequel time!

Disclaimer: I don't own Vandread.

**#1: The Planet of Death**

It had been a little more than a year since the 'Nirvana' had left the defeated planet Earth. They had left him; alone on the planet, to rule over what little was left. He had banded together all the remaining people from the massive machines encircling the planet, which came up to 50 people all together. They all lived inside the massive, ominous metal castle that had previously held the four High Counselors. Back then, earth was nothing, the harvest having been defeated. The new leader moved quickly, to get a foothold, and flew to Tarrak in his Vanguard. He single handedly conquered it. That was a time when he still cared about people. He left the government in tact; they just provided him with ships, and army personal. Tarrak was a war machine, and that was a valuable asset, and they were happy to join him once they found out his plans. Two days later, with his newly conquered planet's help, he conquered Majale. They put up almost no fight, and were now supplying him with troops, and other supplies. With these two planets under his command, in just a year, he had conquered many worlds, and his planet, Earth, had become know to his enemies as the planet of death.

Today, he was in a particularly foul mood. Inside of the throne room, he sat upon his gigantic, spike riddled throne, metal gauntlets and boot's reflecting the light of the stars from the main view screen across the room. Hundreds of ships were floating around the planet, Tarrak, Majaleian, and other planet's warships, and several supply ships, always coming in and out, as the assets to his empire gave their contributions to him. It was the largest fleet left, as the harvest fleet was completely destroyed. Thirty women in the throne room surrounded him, all in special light armor, with two pronged spears, his honor guards. All his guards and all ranking officers were women. He knew that women were smarter, and more reliable than men were, so that fueled that decision. He always treated the people under him with respect and kindness. That is how you inspire true loyalty, not by fear and death. Of course most of them were afraid of him. He had changed since he first landed on this world. His dark coat was longer, darker and more sinister than ever. He never took it off, his hood always covered his head, the back hanging down to between his shoulder blades. He looked like death, but more frightening than death had been said to be. Skeletal hands and feet were not nearly as scary as the razor sharp metal claws that stuck out from the black sleeves, or the spiked boots that glistened under the cloak. He was also more ruthless and cruel than death had ever been. Rumor circulated at what happens when someone had made him angry, and were never seen again. No one every questioned him, or asked about him, they were to intimidated by his appearance. One story that was circulating, was that one planet that was being conquered, had refuse to join, even after defeat, and he simply punched the ground and the planet exploded into nothing but a cloud of dust. Some thought it was impossible, but did not argue, for their leader did have strange powers, and had conquered the male war planet Tarrak, himself, without the aid of anything but his Vanguard. He heard of this rumor, but decided not to stop it. In truth, he had never destroyed a planet, there was no need, and that was that much less supplies that would be supplied. He did, however, have the ability to do something like that, but the most he had, was to destroy a planet sized asteroid, as a demonstration of what he was capable of, when a planet decided not to surrender. Such things gave his people something to talk about.

The doors opened up, and a single female walked in. She was holding a data pad, and reviewing it. She was a newer member of the crew, and had been placed on supply inventory for the new deliveries. She handed him the data pad, and her started reviewing it.

"Here is the list of all delivery's within the last 24 hours." She said, timidly. He knew what it was, for he always got it around this time, from whoever was working the shift that day.

"Very good." He said, with a low growling voice.

"What is with that picture?" She asked, seeing the picture at his right side, which was the only thing that decorated the room. All of the guards took in a sharp breath. They had been with him since he had first conquered Majare, and had never seen anyone ask about the personal item. The girl looked around when she heard the guard's reaction. She was getting worried. She felt like she was going to collapse when the Leader spoke again.

"Guards, leave us." His voice was cold and merciless. She began shaking as the guards filled out quickly. She had heard his personal guards were afraid of almost nothing, and they way they were acting, she knew she was never going to be seen again, or at least not in a big enough piece to recognize. The doors closed, and she fell to her knee's ads the Leader stood. The screen on the wall suddenly shifted to a woman's face.

"What?" He said, in the same cold voice.

"Sir, a ship of unknown classification has just entered the system. The sensor station 'Arbor' has hailed it repeatedly, but no answer. It is heading straight for us, but does not appear hostile. What should we do?" Next to her face a three-dimensional silhouette appeared, and rotated slowly. The leader sat back down, and typed into the keypad integrated into his throne. The screen spilt, on part displaying the woman's face, the others different camera angles as the ship drew closer. He pointed his finger at the girl cowering in the center of the room.

"Name?" His voice was as cold as ever.

"Connie." Her voice shook in fear.

"Would you like to move up in the world, or should I just kill you now?" his voice was still could, but not threatening.

"M-move u-u-up." She stuttered, confused as well as scared. The Leader waved his hand, and another chair built itself on his right side.

"Ok, you are now my personal assistant, you will do the things I find I don't feel like doing. Sit here." He pointed at the new chair, she stood shakily, and sat down.. "Guards, return." The guards filled back into the room, but hid their amazement that the girl was still there. The leader stared at the screen as the ship went from camera to camera. "Jenny, track the ship with all the weapons in the sector, no missile locks, or any other weapons lock. Do not open fire until I give the word." He said, calm and cold. The woman on the screen nodded, and her face was replaced by another camera feed. After an hour of silently watching, the ship halted. The rear opened, and a shuttlecraft appeared. "Tell them where to land. Do not expect reply."

"Hailing now… message sent." The shuttle turned and descended toward the castle.

"Good, follow the shuttles progress with all available weapons, and after they land, keep following. Wait tell I give the word to fire, they're coming here, and if anything goes down, you are to level this facility."

"Y-yes sir." Jenny's voice floated in.

"That is the loyalty I expect out of you." He said, gesturing at Connie. She gave a small nod, and starred at the floor. He tapped in another command on his keypad, and a man's face appeared.

"Luke, greet the visitors in the entrance hall, and do it friendly." There was a falsely friendly flare in his voice, but it didn't drown out the bitterness in his voice, which was colder than ever.

The landing gear on the Shuttle extended, and it touched down with the gentle wine of hydraulics. The door hissed open, and five people walked out. A tall muscular woman with long green hair, a stooped over woman in a brown hooded outfit took the lead, as they were lead inside of the giant structure. Two other women and a buff man followed. They entered the entrance hall, where a man, lavishly dressed, greeted them.

"Hello." He said, as the walked up, and he reached out his hand. The tall green haired woman grabbed it, and shook, but it was the shorter one that spoke.

"We wish to speak to your leader." She said, with a hint of impatience in her voice. The man looked them over for a second, then brought his hand up to his ear. He nodded a couple of times, then started walking down a hall.

"Follow me, right this way, my name is Luke, and I just need to go over a few things that you will do good to head if you value your personal safety." He said, casting a smile back at them, but was a bit surprised when none of them seemed protruded by his saying. "May I ask what brings you here? I was most surprised that you were aloud to make landfall."

"We had a friend who joined in this outfit, and we want to see what has happened to him." The short woman said, 'what about the things you were going to warn us about."

"Oh, yes, well, no sudden movements, no insults, no visible fire arms or other weapons, and please be polite, because the rest of would like to live as well."

"What do you mean by that?" The tall one asked, with an odd look.

"Oh, uh… nothing. Well, here we are, ill leave you here… oh! I guess I'll join you." Luke said, fear crossing his face briefly. He pushed the door open, and they walked into the throne room. Luke stood to one side of the door, as the guests moved to the center of the large room, staring around notice the guards with the two-pronged pitchfork like spears. They turned their attentions to the two thrones at the far side of the room.

"What do you want." The Leader said, in a low, cold, growl.

"So I'm guessing you're the leader of this place?" The stooped woman said. The eader nodded, and then one of the girls from the back of the group spoke up.

"Who the hell is that?" She said, pointing at Connie. Connie looked at the picture, and then at the girl who spoke, then back at the picture. The stooped woman raised her hand to silence the girl, because the guards had all shifted at the movement.

"How did you come to power here?" The woman asked, no fear in her voice. What shocked the guards, was that their Leader answered.

"I killed the previous Leader, and took the throne." Connie kept looking back and forth between the picture and the girl in the back, noting the similarities.

"So it looks like you didn't take any time to find a new partner!" The girl yelled, and ran forward, with balled fists. She didn't make it four steps before she was on her back, spear pinning her to the ground by her throat. A second later four more guards pinned her arms and legs to the ground.

"Let her up." The Leader said casually, like it didn't mean much to him. The guards backed away, and the girl rose of the floor, coughing, and clutching at her throat.

"Bastard." There was a gasp all around the room, and the guards expected her to be dead in a matter of seconds. When nothing happened, all of the guard gazed quizzically at him.

"I was going to let you leave peacefully and unscathed, but I think I've change my mind." He wasn't going to lose face in front of his guards. He was going to make an example of them. "Do the names 'Stout', 'Plato', and 'Dewgong' ring a bell?" he said, letting his voice get even colder. The stooped woman though for a moment.

"Oh, yes, they are the names of some of the ships we raided." She said happily.

"Yes, my ships, carrying supplies from my planets."

"Oh, not surprising, considering you've got quite a few under your command now. We went to Majale for a visit a while ago, only to learn it was conquered by earth, but not before Tarrak. We decided we would pay a visit to the man who took the planets."

"It is never a smart idea to mess with a man building an empire." The woman clutching her throat coughed and spoke.

"Ha, your no man, your just a damned slime ball!" The girl yelled, and ran at him again. This time the guards weren't fast enough, and the girl jumped, smacking the Leader through the hole in his cloak's hood, and connecting with the face within. The guards grabbed the girl, and threw her violently to the floor, pinning her by the throat again. The man with the guest group just sighed, a hand on the other girl's shoulder.

"I told her not to come, told her she'd just get hurt."

"Enough!" The Leader shouted, his anger in his voice resonating through the chamber. The guards ran back to the walls on the sides of the chamber, as he stepped down from the throne. He walked over to the girl, and picked her off the ground, one hand around her throat. She was hanging a foot of the ground, hands on the unyielding metal gauntlets. She stared into the black opening, no fear in her eyes.

Put me down!" She managed to choke out. He dropped her to the floor, tears in her eyes.

"That's enough!" The man called. "Just kill us if you want, but you're not going to scare us, Jack."

"Who are you to order me to do anything?" he said coldly, not taking his eyes of the girl at his knees.

"You know damn well who!"

"Fine than, if you insist, I'll kill this one." He clicked the tips of his metal fingers together, then pulled them apart, an orb of green energy growing into his palm. He closed his hand into a fist around it, and it turned into a single blade of glowing energy. The man, who had called him Jack, grinned at him.

"You won't do it. You could never do that, even when you couldn't control yourself."

"You would be surprised at what changes when you have an empire to rule." His voice was filled with such confidence, that the man doubted his words now. Jack grabbed the head of the girl at his knees, and lifted it so that her chin was perpendicular with the floor, eyes staring at the ceiling. He looked into her eyes, and still saw no fear.

"Your are an inch from death, and are still not afraid." He said, watching the tears flow down he face.

"I will never fear you!" She screamed.

"Pity." He said coldly, and swung the energy blade through her neck. It left no cut, but it did what was intended, as she fell over sideways, and stopped moving. He stepped over her.   
"Now do see what I am truly capable of?" The coldness in his voice broke, and a happy one replaced it. "Barnette, you can get up now." He said, laughing a bit, and dropping his hood. "Man, you should have seen the looks on you faces, John, you were right I could never kill…" He stooped as a leg came up between his, and he fell over clutching himself. Barnette stood, and kicked him in the sides a few times.

"Ouch!" He said, his voice high pitched, "Ok, I deserved that." He said, rolling around on the ground. The guards moved forward. "No, stop, it's ok, their friends." He rose to his feet, and brushed himself off. His voice was still high pitched. The man from the guests spoke up, walking forward.

"Now that's the Jack I know, How the hell you been!" He said, giving him a big hug.

"Just fine, John, has hanging around with that girl of yours turned you into an effeminate weakling, or what?"

"Nah, Meia's the same as ever, aren't ya?" John called over his shoulder, and Meia nodded.

"Nice to see you again Gascogne, and Captain. Sorry about you're greeting, but I have to keep up an image in front of my guards."

"And you're new girlfriend." Barnette said bitterly.

"What? Oh, you mean Connie? She's not my girlfriend, she just my personal assistant."

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"No, really, I loved you, and you left, but even after all this time, I still stand firm, I still love you. She just became my assistant because she was the first to ask any question about me. She saw the picture of you that I keep in here, and asked who you were."

"Hmm, well, you're still a stupid bastard." She said, relived that even though she had left without even a good-bye, he still loved her, and her him.

"Well, there was never any doubt about that, was there? Anyway, why don't you invite the rest of your crew down here, and we can have dinner together, and catch up?

"All of us?" The Captain said.

"Yeah, the whole crew of the 'Nirvana' is welcome."

"Well, after venturing for a while, we decided to take you up on your offer, and move our base out here."

"Really!" Jack said, eyes lit up.

"Yes, we could use some help moving it into the asteroid belt.

"Sure thing, Just give me the Coordinates." Gasco handed him a data pad, and he typed into the keypad in his throne arm. Jenny's face appeared on the screen.

"Yes, sir?"

"You can cancel the weapon lock, were fine, I want you to send a few ships to tow an asteroid from this location, to the belt." He fed the coordinates into the chair, and she signed off. "That was Jenny, my second in command. One of the first to join me." He said, and Barnette decided not to get angry at him.

The end of the first chapter, E-mail me any questions or suggestions, please, and also, don't forget to review!


	2. The Deepening Madness

Vandread, The Next Empire 

Sequel time, part 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Vandread.

**#2: Deepening Madness**

The giant tables of the food hall were filled with more food choices than where scarcely imaginable. The crew of the 'Nirvana' and asteroid belt sat, mingling with the earth army people. The men originally from Tarrak were not the least bit perturbed by the presence of so many women, have had to work with them for quite some time. Jack sat with the Captain, Commander, Vinn, Jura, John, Meia, Hibiki, Dita, Bart, Celtic, Duero, Parfait, and Barnette, of course. The female officer, Jenny, and also Jacks personal assistant, Connie, who was still a bit dumbfounded, thinking she was going to be brutally murdered at any second. Jenny kept casting dirty looks at Barnette, seated next to Jack on his other side. Barnette whispered into Jack's ear, earning another dirty look.

"Why does she keep looking at me like that?"

"It is just, that she has never seen anyone else aloud this close to me before, and it's making her uncomfortable." He whispered back. He was so happy that Barnette and the others where going to join him, he could hardly control himself.

"Hey, Vinn, you never did drop out of the army, did you?" He asked.

"Well, not really, no."

"So then, since you are in the Tarrak army, and I am now in control of the planet, and the military, that would mean that you are under my command now, and I could order you to go to war, right?" Vinn's face turned slightly white at the prospect of leaving to fight.

"Well, technically, yes."

"Ok, well, just checking." He heaved a sigh of relief. "So, how has everybody been?" The question was directed at everybody. They spent the next hour or so catching up. Jura was the last to answer.

"I'm expecting it in about 5 months!" She said, the happiness and feeling of superiority wafting in her voice.

"And here I thought you were just getting fat! So it turns out Vinn can do something right every now and then." Jack said, laughing, as Jura and Vinn turned red.

"So, how did you start this?" The captain asked, munching in the remnants of her meal.

"Well, after you guys left, I sat around for a couple days, thinking about my next move. I decided if I was going to do this, I was going to need some big planets on my side. So I set off for Tarrak. When I got near, I found 5 Tarrak craft attacking a small Majaleian ship. So I destroyed the Tarrak ships, and thought I'd see why they had been attacking. I mean, it is rude for a man to attack a woman, but five men against one lady? Anyway, I found that Jenny here was the only one left alive on the ship, so I offer her a job. She accepted, and then I moved an took Tarrak single handedly, after only one, rather gruesome battle, with high casualties. I gave them a small demonstration of my capabilities afterward, involving a rather large and barren section of land, and they decided it was in their best interest to surrender. I told them what they would be providing me, where to send it to, and returned to where Jenny's ship floated, too heavily damaged to fly, and had a crew expedite repairs. I only had my Vanguard, so I couldn't take on another person with me. It was two days before her ship was fit to fight, and we, plus the ten male ships under my command headed for the neighboring planet, Majale. Th problem was that Majale had heard about Tarrak, and had sent an intercept force to head me off, Somewhere around 50 ships. I am somewhat more limited in space combat than on the ground, so, needless to say, it was not going to be good, being about 5 to 1. The battle was intense, but Jenny managed to surprise me when she took the biggest ship of the lot out, without a scratch on her own ship. It must have been the command ship, and spread discord through the rest of the fleet, allowing enough time to take a few more out while they re-coordinated. I had made planet fall, and had convinced the leaders to surrender peacefully, and with minimum casualties. Cease-fires were called, and one of my male ship's decided to fire on the now inert Majale ship's. I had the man who gave the order thrown in the ship's brig, and he was the first soldier on the battlefield on the next planet I took, and he didn't last long. After the Battle, I had only 4 of the male ships left. And the intercept team had around twenty of the original fifty. I decided that I would make Jenny the fleet commander and second in command, because I had seen her actions save my other people more than once that battle, and she had disabled a large number of the enemy ships. I found women are more capable then men in a lot of ways, so I made all of the higher officers' women, as well as my personal entourage. Women had a compassion for life that most men lacked, but could also make key decisions and go through with them. For the most part, they were not as hot headed and eager to die as men are on the battle field." He gave a meaningful look at Barnette, and she got his meaning, and smacked him upside the head. He had missed her so much, that even her abuse was welcome with glee. He had kept the picture of her in throne room since he took over. He had found it on the floor, after the 'Nirvana' had departed a year ago. "So then, we returned, conquering a few more wolds on the way back. Most of the crew live on the ships they serve on, and they have to get the supplies to keep themselves going for themselves. It would be to costly to have a set crew to restock everyone, so they just send a small ship to the surface supply storage's and get what they need themselves. So, enough about me, besides destroying my ships, what have you been up to?" They all plowed into accounts of their exploits over the past year, until late into the night. "Well, I'm glad you chose to join me. I have heard rumors of another group trying to recruit planets in a distant galaxy to help them to thwart me. Anyway, if you just follow Luke, he'll show you all to your rooms, and you can rest here while in this system." Luke appeared at his side while he dropped the information, and led them off, with the exception of Barnette, to their rooms. "Aren't you going with the rest, you don't want to get lost in this place."

"I thought I might bunk with you." She said shyly. Jack's eyes widened, and Jenny just stared, having waited to talk to Jack about his trust in these strange people.

"…um,… ok, I guess." He stammered, surprised by her tone. Jenny stood and left the room, for god knows where.

Jack was walking down the halls, Barnette by his side. She had insisted on a tour of his castle, and wouldn't take no for an answer. They walked down a hall lined with decorated shields, some spattered with blood, and other substances. This is when she noticed just how different Jack was. His gauntlets where sharper, and more deadly looking. The points on the tips of his boots were longer, and small spike jutted out from along the sides. His cloak was longer and more ominous looking. She thought it was normal for him, but she didn't see the thing hiding behind his happiness in his eyes that would not be a good thing. In truth, Jack had started slipping into madness, the weight of his rule, and the incomparable power surging through his body. He could shatter entire planets like grinding rocks into dust, slaughter entire nations without a scratch, and it was threatening to take him. It had both receded and grown since the return of the 'Nirvana, but he didn't notice, as he walked into his room, Barnette at his side. His cloak swirled around, and settled into nightclothes, as Barnette changer in the bathroom, having procured a spare pair during the tour. They climbed in, bid each other good night, and drifted into a calm sleep.

Jack was staring into a pair of small, purple eyes. He blinked the sleep out of his own eyes, as Barnette's face swam in around the set of eyes. The only problem was that this was not Barnette. The girl was to small to be her, and as he woke up more, noticed several small differences in the face.

"Finally! You can stay awake for more than five minutes, can you?" She said, her small voice slightly high pitched.

"Er, sorry?" Jack said, still bewildered by what he was seeing. Looked around, stretching. He was sitting at a wooden table, little flowers coving the top, except for the place his head had just occupied. He was wearing a blue long sleeved shirt, and a pair of black pants and shoes. He wondered where his boots, gauntlets, and cloak were.

"Well, you promised to help me make a wreath for mommy, but you dosed off." She said, spreading more flowers onto the table. He was shocked at how well the girl could speak, because she looked no older five or six.

"Mommy?" He asked.

"Yes, mommy. Jeez, what ever you've been working on has really thrown you out of whack. Mommy went to the store to get a few things, and we decided to surprise her when she got back. I went to get the flowers, and you said you'd show me how to make a wreath!" The little girl was a little exasperated now.

"Where are my gantlets and other gear?"

"You mean those old metal things, and that tattered rag?" She said, eyeing him curiously "You packed those away a long time ago, remember daddy?"

Jack sat bolt upright in his bed, disoriented, and sweating. After a few seconds, he realized that it was all just a dream, and remembered where he was. He looked over at the clock, the word "daddy" etched in his mind. It was 5:30 in the morning. He got up, and his cloak reformed around him. He left the room, Barnette still fast asleep, not troubled by strange dreams. He scratched his head as he walked into the kitchens, and started a pot of coffee. As he took his hand away, he saw blood spreading over his hand. He then noticed the large cut he had made into the side of his head. He was surprised, he had never cut himself before, was he really so perturbed by the dreams. He grabbed a cup, filled it, and walked to the throne room, sipping his drink distractedly.

"I wish I knew what he is doing in there!" Barnette huffed, pulling at the door of the throne room. It had been two weeks since she had returned to earth, and every morning when she woke, Jack would already be locked in this room, and didn't come out until nightfall. Very few people were aloud in, mostly just a tall man in dirty coveralls, caring a shipping manifest. Jenny had walked up, wanting to go in and talk to her leader. She didn't like Barnette very much, and so much had change since she first came here, and Jenny didn't like it one bit. Part of it was that she had been Jacks favorite before, and another was she was jealous. Now she saw an opportunity to drive Barnette nuts.

"You know, he does spend allot of time with Connie in there." Jenny whispered into Barnette's ear.

"What do you mean?" Barnette asked, anger piercing her voice.

"Well, I have heard the guards saying some interesting thins lately." Jenny said smugly, and walked off, leaving Barnette banging on the door, fuming. After a minute of banging, she accidentally slammed her hand palm open on the door. She drew her hand back, seeing a small dot of green light left behind. Of course! She had seen Jack do this before. He'd make a point of energy on the door, and then walk through the newly made energy gate. She walked forward, and into the door, smacking her face into the solid metal. Oh yeah! She thought, rubbing her face. You have to stretch out the energy field. She stuck her two index fingers into the dot, and pulled it into a horizontal line. She then grabbed the line, and pulled it up and down, creating a glowing green doorway inside the door. She could see through it, and saw jack sitting motionless in his throne, the girl Connie next to him. Barnette stepped through and into the room, the guard giving a start at her sudden appearance.

"Oh, you're here, quickly, come sit here." He motioned to his left side, and another chair, identical to the one on his right, built up from the ground. "Hurry, you might want to see this." She decided to sit, for now, and see what had him flustered. He put his hood on, hiding his face, as Barnette sat, arms crossed. She looked on the giant view screen, and saw something she never expected. A Harvest cube type flew past the planet mars, and stopped. It was a shade of bright ivory, instead of one of the six paexis colors. The image faded, and switched to a view showing six people in shimmering white robes, all wearing metal gauntlets. They looked like Jack, only in white. Barnette was to shocked to say anything.

"Well, the six Crystal Cardinals, to what do I owe this intrusion? Jack growled up at them. One stepped forward and answered.

"Well, that is a little rude. I heard that you have gained control of the six paexi, and implemented your own controllers." The man's voice sounded familiar to Barnette, but she didn't know why.

"What's it to you?" Jack shouted back.

"Well, even rude in the presence of a lady, and an extraordinarily beautiful lady at that. I must apologize for his rudeness, ma'am." The man bowed at Barnette, she simply blinked amazed.

"Get to the point! What do you want." Jack yelled, angry with the man.

"You know perfectly well what I want. When the paexi are gathered, and their powers are all granted to a single person, the two sides must fight. I was wondering who would be entrusted with the power, and I must say I'm disappointed."

"Well, I should say the same to you, Cage." Jack said back, his voice cold. The man on the screen took his hood of, and she saw Jack's face staring at them.

"Who is that?" Barnette asked, and the Man with Jacks face answered, pointing at Jack.

"That, is my evil twin!"

End of chapter two!

More twists than a soap opera, but with half the brain tumors, and amnisia!


	3. How and Why?

Vandread, The Next Empire 

Sequel time, part 3!

Disclaimer: I don't own Vandread.

**#3: How and Why?**

Barnette's mind was reeling under the strain of the new information pressing in. The man on the screen had answered her question, saying that Jack was his evil twin. But Barnette was not the simple minded kind of woman that would just except this information from the stranger.

"How do I know your telling the truth?" She asked, her voice thick with skepticism.

"Well, for one, look at me, and then look at him, and tell me we don't look the part of what I said." He said, gesturing to each of them as he spoke. Barnette did have to admit that he was right about that much. The white cloaks shining, as they were bathed in light. Jack however, did also look the part, siting in a dark room, dark black coating him, sharp talon like claws on his hands, tarnished and lacking the high sheen of the others.

"So, looks don't determine very much." She said.

"Oh, but you see, in this instance they do! You see, when a person carries the paexis energy, it changes to match them." He held out his hand palm up, and a orb of bright purple energy glowed to life. "You see how brightly mine shines, hold up yours Jack." Cage ordered. Jack held up one arm, and an orb appeared on his palm as well. The deep darkness of the orb was a bit more intimidating then the bright one that Cage held. "See, you can see the darkness bubbling up from within. The paexis energy used grows to resemble the person who wields it. There are two sides to everything. There are 12 paexi in all, two of each color. Only when the two of each combine, can they be destroyed, as the dark and light sides neutralize each other." He said this, and things began to make more sense to Barnette.

"Is it true?" She asked, staring at Jack. Jack was so furious now, that he was using all his self-control just to avoid blowing up, and destroying everything around him. He managed on fury-laden roar, and dashed to the door. He ripped them open with such force that the hinges shattered, and the giant metal doors fell to the floor with reverberating thuds.

"Wow, what a temper, so, who might you be, little lady?" Cage asked Barnette, and they conversed for a while, Connie merely taking notes no and then.

Jack was saddened, but not surprised that Barnette did not join him for the night. He rolled around, still filled with rage, until he finally fell asleep, returning to the field with the table, and the little girl. He saw himself sitting at the same table, the little girl staring back. But something was drastically different this time, and it was a few seconds before he realized what it was. He was watching himself and the girl. He looked around, and saw he was in his normal gear, standing behind a tree, looking at another one of him down at the table. The little girl ran off into a house in the distance, and Jack walked to the table. The him at it already, was not the least bit surprised to see the cloaked him.

"Well, well, haven't seen you for quite some time." The uncloaked Jack said. "Why, it must have been almost five years ago."

"Who are you?" The cloaked Jack asked stiffly.

"I'm you. At least as far as the Mrs. is concerned anyway." The sky turned from a bright blue, to a light gray, as clouds moved in.

"What do you mean?" The cloaked Jack asked, though he was sure he knew the answer.

"During the fight we lost our cloaks, and she couldn't tell the difference, and chose me. The right choice, too, because where as you could only offer death and destruction, I gave her love and peace." He smiled as lightning flashed, and thunder rumbled. Jack wanted to jump at the man, bury his claws deep into the man, but found he could lift his arms. The other man rose laughing, walked over, and grabbed Jack by the throat. He lifted him as if he were nothing. "How does it feel, to be helpless in the face of an enemy you though was a friend?" He said, coldness in his voice, as a lighting flash revealed the insane pleasure in his face. Jack remembered he had done the same thing, but to Barnette when she first returned, though he never imagined hurting her. The other man through him to the ground and, instead of colliding with it, dark enveloped him, and he sank into it.

Jack woke up with a start, and just lay, thinking about what he had just seen. It was a few moments before he noticed something move next to him. He shifted his gaze, to see a tuft of green hair sticking up from beneath the sheets. It took a full two minutes of thought to figure out that Barnette had joined him while he dozed. He wiped his face with his hand in relief, but only managed to summon a wave of pain. He looked, and saw he was still wearing all of his gear, and had managed to slice open his face. This did not worry him to bad, even though he had almost never inflicted injuries on himself with his newly razor-edged fingers. He found that he was no longer mad about his twin's call, having seen that Barnette was still comfortable around him, enough so that she was still by his side.

"Note to self, don't go to the bathroom with these on." He chuckled to himself. He placed his hand over his face, more blood falling from the new wounds made. "How am I supposed to hold an empire together, when I can't even hold myself together?" He shook his head slowly, until he realized where his other hand was. He followed the arm down into the lump that was Barnette. He was worried, because he had just cut up his own face, and his other hand was no doubt wrapped around her. He slowly pulled the blankets down, an to his great relief, found the metal gauntlet missing, and his arm around the sleeping girl. He shook of the other gauntlet off, and, wrapping his other arm around her, when back to sleep, thinking of how even after all of the strange and harmful things he had done to this girl. He banished the thought of his original dream, think of the saying he had once read. "Visions are only conceived by those who believe they have a future." It was just a dream, and he had something better than he could have ever gotten in a dream, wrapped in his arms.

The next morning, Barnette and Jack both entered the food court together. She was still not afraid in the least of Jack, even though she couldn't explain why. She had explained how she was worried about him spending so alone with other women, and he just laughed in her face. She smacked him, and several nearby people dove for cover, expecting anything but for their Leader to give the girl a kiss.

"Hey, I've seen pregnant women before, and I'm positive you're just fat, especially in the head."

"I'm telling you, I'm not fat!"

"Well then, have you let a trained medical professional confirm it?"

"… Um… not really." Jura said, finally defeatedly. Her and Jack had gotten into an argument, because Jura would not shut up about being pregnant, and he just was sick of hearing it. Barnette and vinn just sighed as Jura stormed out of the room.

"Do you have to do that all the time?" Vinn asked, casting an exasperated look at him.

"What? Of course I did, I could think with all the noise." He stated bluntly.

Meia and John had managed to find a very nice room, which had a transparent floor, which showed the planet's surface as the metal rings, rotated around it. Parfait was working to find a way to restore the lower atmosphere to a non-hazardous state, and was having moderate success. The acidic clouds parted, showing a vast body of water, a few small islands dotting it.

"This is beautiful." Meia said, staring awestruck at the sparkling water, miles below.

"Yeah, it ain't to bad, but it doesn't hold a candle up to you." He was trying to do his best to be, as a few of soldiers called it, romantic. Meia cast an odd glance at him, her cheek slightly pink.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" She replied, trying to seem, as the soldiers had put it, alluring. He just shrugged, and he embraced her from behind, both staring down at the ocean now.

"Well, anyone can fall in love with an ocean, but it can never love you back."

"What do you think, Mr. Alien?" Dita said, modeling a new choice in attire. Hibiki coughed, and choked on what he was drinking. A word shot into his mind so fast, it was all he could do to keep from blurting it out. He had, like most of the other people from the 'Nirvana, asked questions of the soldiers, who allot had been from planets where men and women co–habitated. He had learned a word from what this occasion was construed as. Sexy. But he did not fully understand what it meant, so he decided against using the descriptive term for the moment, as he began to feel a rising sense of heat in an area quite apart from his face, which had instantly heated to the boiling point.

Uh... very… er…um… nice." He was having trouble focusing, coughing as he struggled with the word. Dita giggled in a cute fashion, which gave Hibiki a new wave of sensation, that he found both uncomfortable, and yet extremely gratifying at the same time.

"Well, doctor, I think I might need a check up." A girl said seductively.

"Well, are you feeling anything different from normal?" Duero seemed to have not noticed the way she was talking, as he went into diagnosis mode.

"Well, I'm feeling really hot." The girl said, smiling as the hansom man put his hand to her forehead, checking to see if she was feverish. In truth, there was nothing physically wrong with the girl, or for that matter, any of the girls he had looked over in the last couple of days. He had been receiving a lot of attention from the females of the army. The door hissed open, and an extremely attractive blonde walked in. She gave a look to the girl Duero was examining that could have frozen a solar flare. The girl gave a small eep, and rushed out of the room, as the plump women plopped herself down on the examination table. She grabbed the Doctor by the front of his robes.

"Tell me that there is a baby in here!" She said in an angry growl.

"Ok, I will need a minute to prepare the equipment." He replied, not phased by Jura's actions.

A small explosion buried the lead engineer in a cloud of black smoke, and the machine she was working on stopped running.

"Damn, shorted out. I need a stronger transformer!" She yelled, as her Maintenance crew dug through the storage building's many boxes, looking for random parts. She was making strong progress in restoring the Earth's atmosphere to its former glory. The poisons thinned with every completed purification machine she made. It was already 35 percent less toxic than when she had started, and the less resilient species of flora and fauna began to emerge.

The 'Nirvana' drifted past a dazzlingly blur planet, Bart and Celtic the sole occupants of the ship. The captain had given him permission do check out the system more thoroughly explore the system while they were here. He was extremely good at piloting the ship now, and had set the automatic functions to various tasks. The Planet, Neptune, was displayed on the main screen, floating serenely in the heavens. Close ups appeared in windows as the camera's focused on different spots, and the pair was bathed in blue light.

Everybody mingled with each other, getting to know more about them as the asteroid base sent pirating and reconnaissance missions, still lead by captain Magno. Almost the entire earth fleet had grown to respect her as a near mythological being, as tales of her exploits, battles, and amazing captaining skills spread. B.C. handled her fare share of the workload, still being Magno's second in command, but still found the time to meet a nice young girl named Lindsey. They were spending more and more time together, and the captain enjoyed seeing her serious companion pursuing something other than work.

Jack and Barnette were in the throne room, Connie having the day off to do whatever. The guard were also gone, Jack giving them all the opportunity to try out the new spa that had been built on one of the metal bands ringing the planet. The door opened, and they both looked up, seeing Jura walking in, looking down trodden. When she was a few feet from them she stopped.

"I just went to see Duero, so I could see if I was pregnant." Her voice was sad, and Jack was surprised, because he had actually though Jura had been pregnant, he was just trying to get her to shut up for a while. "And… you were… WRONG!" she yelled, holding a picture up, which showed a granny image that was a underdeveloped child. In a corner in black marker, it read "Jura Basil Elden, Month Five."

"Well, I'm glad to be proven wrong, and allow me to properly congratulate you. Now, we are in the middle of something, so if you wouldn't mind?" She waddled of to tell Vinn the good news, her ego satisfied, and after the door closed, Barnette continued telling him what Cage had told her the night before.

End of #3.

Fun to right this one, as I can use terminology that would have been unfit for previous chapters of the other story, as now they have educates, from where men and women are together.

So, just dreams right? And if not, hasn't it been proven that they aren't always set in stone? I was trying to go for a better look at a few of the relationships, and personal projects of the main and sub-main characters, and take a break from the main plot.


	4. Balck and White

Vandread, The Next Empire 

Sequel time, part 4!

Disclaimer: I don't own Vandread.

**#4: Black and White**

"You never did answer my original question. Is it true, are you the evil one?" Barnette's word sliced into his mind, as he thought of what to say. She stared intently at him, as he formulated his plan. He hadn't lied to her, and he wasn't going to start now.

"Yes." Jack stated bluntly, looking at the top of the table they were seated at. Barnette had hoped with all of her might that he wouldn't answer that way, but it didn't seem to have helped. "As Cage said, I am the evil one."

"But how?" She was trying to find a chink in his defense.

"Because he got the good side, and I got the evil." He wasn't going to beat around the bush.

"No! I won't except it!" She said, slamming her hand on the table.  
"Well, I'm afraid it's true. The Paexis energy responds to the user's nature. Anything bonded with their energy responds in kind as it is used. That is why my cloak and energy contain the dark touch of black." He sighed, recalling the memories of the wars over planets he conquered. "After you left, I was stricken with an immense grief, and used it to fuel my powers as I conquered world. I shot, stabbed, sliced, and even ripped my opponents to shreds with my gauntlets." He was depressed now, sure that Barnette would be horrified and run off. Her voice startled him.

"They were your enemies, and you simply removed them from your path."

"Yes, that was all. After awhile on the battle field and I had removed enough people from my path, I stopped killing wherever possible. I spared more than I killed, gave them choices. Most joined, and for those who decided to fight back, I just removed their ability to cause harm to my soldiers. I have never raised a hand in anger, or killed any soldiers under my command. I have acted how I felt best, and have never felt it was the wrong thing to do." He finished defetedly, as he placed his head on the cold metal table. He knew that it was only a matter of time before Barnette figured that he was horrible, and left him alone. What did happen, was the last thing he had expected. She placed her hand firmly on his shoulder.

"Well if that is how it is, then I'm evil to!" The resolution in her voice was surprising, due to what she was saying. "If acting with your heart, and doing what you know is right is evil, than I'm with you! Cage told me stories of the bloody remnants of battles you fought, and horrible tales of death and destruction where you were involved. I listened, but I am not the simple-minded girl he must have thought I was. He tried to turn me against you." She explained, and Jack nodded.

"Because he's smart. He knew if I lost you, I would be nothing." He had a grim sound to his voice, and Barnette wondered what he meant, but kept going, noting to ask him later.

"He thought by telling me things, that I would see him as the good guy, and hate and fear you. But I wanted to hear your side of the story before I made my decision." She stood. "I asked some of the people around hear, and there was no confirmed stories about you obliterating entire planets, or killing soldiers for fun. Wild rumor were all, and I know you better than that, so I'll be by your side through this." She sat next to him, and wrapped his arm around herself.

"Thanks." Jack said, wiping a tear away from his face with his free hand. To his delight, he didn't rip his face open. He was back in his grove, back where he belonged. Barnette pushed further up against him, feeling his warmth wrap around her as he also pulled her in.

"I say we go and show him just who he's messing with." She said, drearily.

"I concur. Tomorrow I will inform the troops, and we will go to his planet, and rip him a new one." He said, also dosing off, the great stress and feelings of dread leaving tiredness in their place. Barnette mad a small murmuring noise as she drifted off, and jack followed in short order, feeling better than he could ever remember. Ever since that fateful Christmas, he had put Barnette through more than anyone should ever face in a lifetime, much less a year and a half, and she still found a way to forgive him.

Jack sat at the wooden table with the Jack of his strange dreams here in the grassy field. The little girl was running around chasing a large butterfly. He kept his hood on, because he didn't want to confuse the little girl, even though it was just a dream. He was engage in a game of chess, conversing with the other, deciding to make the best of this dream. Even though his mind was back at ease, he was not the older Jack again, which he thought would happen.

"So why aren't I you again, now that I've settled everything with Barnette?" The cloaked Jack asked, knocking over a white knight with his black bishop.

"Because, there still something to be settled, and I can see it's going to be a while before we have to fight again." The other said, taking the bishop with a pawn.

"What does that mean?" The cloaked jack asked, taking the pawn with his own.

"Can't tell you." He moved a pawn onto one of the squares on the other side of the board. "I'll take that knight back." Jack placed the horse on the board.

"Why not?" He took the knight back with a rook stationed nearby.

"Because, I'm only aloud to give you hint's and glimpses, and if I tell you anything revolutionary, the take me away, and bring out another one to take my place, Check." He took one of the black knights with his queen.

"Ok, then at least tell me what the big metal cage means." Jack said, as he moved his remaining knight to defend the king.

"Sorry, all I can say is it's symbolic, and you'll find out soon enough, Check mate." Jack gaped as he had failed to see the rook that snuck up on him, and pinned his king. The older Jack stretched. "Well, time to go, see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, I'll win then, and bring some coffee then too." The older jack chuckled as the cloaked jack faded, and awoke in the real world.

Barnette woke and stretched, at around the same time as Jack. They had only slept an hour or so, and it was only 11:30. Th decided to go to bed for the rest of the night, backs sore from sleeping sitting up.

"I'm even a loser in my sleep." Jack said, as the wandered down the halls. Barnette gave him a strange look. "I was playing chess, and I lost horribly."

"Well then, there's another item to add to the long list of things you suck at." Barnette said with a giggle, as they steeped through the door, and went to bed.

The next day, Jack gave the announcement that all troops and ships were to gear up, because they were heading out. The 'Nirvana' would be accompanying the fleet, as well as most squadron of dreads from the asteroid base, loaded into the carrier the 'Challenger.' They had five days to get ready. The preparations were going along smoothly. Jack was leaving Connie, and six ships behind. Connie was going to be in charge of the Earth while he was away. She would continue with the normal task's, and her ships would increase as more shipment's from other planets in the empire sent them. After the five days were up, the ships were all ready for departure. Jack stepped onto the bridge of the 'Nirvana, which had been fused into the hull of his flagship, The "Supernova." The 'Nirvana' could detached and leave at any time. Jack had insisted that captain Magno pilot his flagship, but she was unwilling to leave the 'Nirvana.' This was the simplest solution. Join the two ships, but with the ability to separate easily, so that the 'Nirvana was like the control center for the 'Supernova' as well. Bart jumped into the navigation sphere, and deep reverberations rumbled as the flagship engines came to life. It pulled away from the planet, and began the trip to foreign space.

The travel was completely uneventful for the first two weeks of the trip. Two days ago they had cleared familiar space, and venture into unexplored space.

"Long range sensor contact. Single ship, class 2, high energy levels detected." Misty called to the commander, and fed the silhouette and energy readings to the main view screen.

"Looks like cage had sent a friend to greet us." Jack said, and he picked up his radio, and ordered the fleet to hold potion. A woman's face appeared face appeared on the main screen.

"Leader! The green paexis is acting up, it flashing and making odd sound sir." The woman was one of the three assigned to pilot the ships with Paexis installed. The green, orange, and yellow had been put in the three other strongest ships in the fleet. He took the purple one into the chamber with the Blue and red on the 'Nirvana', needing the synergetic effects to provide the power necessary to unleash the full potential of the 'Supernova.'

"Well, that confirms that the green controller from here is here, ok, continue holding position' Lorain." As the 'Supernova/Nirvana' drifted further, a large ship was visible.

"Focus all scanners on the ship, I want to know as much about it as possible." The commander said, as they drifted between a planet and it's moon, and stopped.

"Captain, they're hailing us." Ezra said, as a white hooded head flashed on the main view screen.

"Well, this is a treat." A woman's voice said, as the White hooded person lowered her hood. Bright, spiky green hair adorned the head of this woman. Her face was pretty, but something was hiding behind the calm exterior. "Not only do I get to meet the Maters twin brother, but the famous Magno Vivan as well." Her voice held a hint of nervousness. She had heard of what the Pirates under Magno had done before, and she was worried. With all the camera's and detection gear aimed at the Enemy ship, no one noticed as several small objects impacted the 'Supernova' by one of the airlocks on the port side. No one noticed the airlock open, and then a few minutes later, close again.

"Who are you?" The commander asked kindly.

"Never you mind, you'll all be dead before long." She said, her voice more nervous than before.

"And who is going to do that? I don't see an fleet, or any weapon that can deliver a fatal blow before we smash you into bits." Jack said, and the girl grew more nervous. Jack began to chuckle, no one noticing Barnette, standing in the back, suddenly grab wildly at her mouth. "And I seriously doubt that you are going to do it, you're shaking so bad I could probably stand still, and you couldn't hit me at point blank range." The girl steadied, and confidence filled her voice.

"Well, you see, I have an ace up my sleeve. Turn around." Jack turned around and was looking down the barrel of an assault weapon held by a man in full body armor with a EVA capability. He could move in time to avoid the round at this range but other armored men appeared as they deactivated their personal stealth field generators. The man who held Barnette had a knife to her throat, and that kept Jack rooted to the spot.

"Yes, I know you could easily dodge the shot of the weapon, but if you resist, the girl dies." The girl said. The girl issued orders to secure the rest of the ship, and the captain told no one to resist, so that they wouldn't be harmed. Four men secured handcuffs on all of the people on the bridge, the Man holding Barnette keeping the knife on her throat, so that Jack wouldn't try anything, as they were lead of the ship.

Jack hit the wall, and landed in a heap on the floor, as the woman in white threw him there. She closed the door to the cell, and Jack just lay there, not sitting up.

"We have developed a system that cancels out your dark energy, so that you cannot use any of your Paexis powers. Watch, thy and break the cuffs." Jack pulled his arms apart, but the cuffs held firm. He took a quick glance around, seeing all the other Controllers sitting around. "Ha, keeping all of controllers in one place just made it easier to capture you." She walked out laughing. Closing a door, the light inside the brig fading. Most of the occupants were huddled together with their partner, with the exception of Barnette, who was slumped in a corner, head in her hands.

"You ok?" He said, looking up at her as he rolled onto his back. The crew of this ship had spent the last couple of hours beating the crap out of the powerless Jack, but his pain vanished as Barnette lifted her head. Her face was tear-stained, but that wasn't what made Jack jump to his feet. A thin, bleeding red line was etched across the left side of her neck, where the man had cut into her while holding the knife. Jack was mad, but he needed to keep his head if they were going to get out of here.

"Some good guys." Barnette coughed, clutching the cut. What the girl in white said stuck in his mind. A system that cancels out dark Paexis energy, had the girl really made it that easy to escape? Jack walked up to Dita, who was holding a battered Hibiki, who looked like he had received a thorough beating, as did Vinn and John.

"Here, destroy these." He said, holding out his cuffs to Dita. She gave him a puzzled look.

"But…"

"Just focus and do it." He said impatiently. Dita Sighed, concentrated, and poked the cuffs with her index finger. A small bang and the cuffs popped off. "It only cancels dark energy, and I'd have been worried if you'd ever done anything that could be considered dark." He grabbed her cuffs, and sliced them off. He couldn't use his powers to enhance strength, but his gauntlets were sharp enough to break a pair of cuffs. He walked over and did the same to Barnette, as Dita busted the rest of the cuffs. After everyone was de-cuffed, Dita blew the lock on the door. Jack was going after the girl in white, and the rest went to free the rest of the crew, and get back to the 'Supernova'. When jack reached the bridge of this ship, he saw the door was open. He peered in, and the girl didn't notice when the people manning the ops' stations slumped forward, a dozen needles buried in the backs of each of their heads, severing their brain stems and killing them instantly. The girl was staring at the enormous flagship. He walked up, silently drawing on of his swords, the scythe like tip glinting in the light. He grabbed her shoulder, spun her around, and pinned her to the wall with one hand, other holding the sword at her throat.

"How you doing?" He said, seeing the fear in her eyes as she stared into his hoods dark opening. An explosion of green energy sent Jack sliding on his back, but with a small flip was back on his feet. He lunged, grabbing the white robbed girl around the waist, and tackling her to the floor. "Not this time, sweetheart." He said, the casual way he was talking made the girl more afraid, and she panicked. Jack pulled a length of rope out of his cloak, and hog tied the girl, slung her over his shoulders, and walked toward the nearest way back to the 'Supernova.' He reached the ship, and the link was severed, all the 'Nirvana/Supernova' crew having been extracted. He reached the bridge just in time to see the energy lances rip into the other ship, and it detonated into a ball off fire. He dropped the girl onto the deck, and fished around in her cloak. Barnette was in the medical deck, getting her neck bandaged, so she never knew Jack was doing that, because she would have read him the riot act. He pulled out a small green glowing orb, and scrutinized it. It was the green Paexis from this galaxy. He shoved it in his own pocket.

"I found this on their bridge, Captain." He said, gesturing to the girl struggling on the floor. "I Though it would make a nice souvenir, so I grabbed the last one in stock."

"Yes, it would seem so, how about giving us that name now?" The commander said. It was apparent that this was one of the things she least expected.

"Aren't you going to kill me? You're the evil one's!" She yelled, and jack sighed.

"I think you've been miss-informed. But if you want, I could kill you, but you know, I am a little tired, and could use a snack first." Jack said. The girl decided that she would at least give them that much, because she wasn't dead already, and she had heard that no on was left alive after either Magno, or Jack were done, yet she was still alive.

"Missy, Missy Thomson." She said.

"Well, Missy, welcome to the 'Nirvana.'" The captain said.

"Wait, I was told no one is ever left alive after being beaten by you, why am I special?"

"Your not, thouse tales are all alive. Half the people in my fleet are people that were fighting me when I took their planets. I only kill when necessary, or if someone where to make me angry." Jack said, examining his gaunlets.

"And we don't kill more than necessary either. You are now a prisoner, so you will remain in a for the time being." The captain said, and Missy was still shocked that she wasn't dead, even after launching a sneak attack and trying to kill all of them. Jack untied her after slipping on a pair of metal cuffs, and led her to the brig. He typed in the code, and the energy barrier flicked to life, sealing her in.

"After a few days, we might decide to let you join us, and then you'll be let out of here. But you have to really join, because I can tell if you're lying." Jack said and walked off, leaving the baffled girl alone in the brig.

THE END OF CHAPTHE 4!

I was debating how to start this one, but I think I made the right choice. Please review any of my stories you read. And also, EMAIL ME! at please. Anything! I'd love to answer any questions you have, and give me advice and stuff too!


	5. Orange Smoothie

Vandread, The Next Empire 

Sequel time, part 4!

Disclaimer: I don't own Vandread.

**#5: Orange Smoothie**

Jack walked through familiar field, seeing the small girl running about. He had a long, thin box, and put it on the table as he sat down.

"What is this?" The other Jack said, looking at the box.

"Monopoly. I got sick of losing at chess, so I brought my own game."

"No time, you only got a few minutes today."

"Why?"

"Notice how the back of your head hurts?"

"Yeah, why?"

"You'll remember soon enough, anyway, you can ask some questions if you want."

"Ok, who are you, really?"

"I'm just what your mind perceives."

"What?"

"I'm just here, because your mind perceives me as a threat. You'll replace me again when you eliminate what ever causes you mind anxiety. Well, that is all the time we have, see you later." Jack wanted to ask what he had meant, but he started to fade.

He woke up, only to find his face against the floor and a throbbing pain in the back of his head. He started to rise, wondering what happened, when he was slammed back down to the floor, a boot heel between his shoulder blades. Twin flashes of green light flared, and the boot lifted. Jack rose, to see a man with slicked back orange hair sprawled on the floor. The man sprung up, and caught Jack in the head with a metal boot. His head throbbed where the boot impacted, the same as the back of his head, as he landed in a heap on the floor. He saw Barnette and the new girl, Missy, dive out of the way as orbs of orange energy exploded around them. Jack rose again, and was knocked down. His memories began to come back, and he remembered where he was. He was on a ship that held the white side orange controller. This ship was also equipped with a dark energy suppression system, so he wasn't much use here. They had managed to board the ship, and he was knocked out cold with one strike. He was the only one with dark in his powers, so everyone else was able to use their powers freely. His vision un-blurred and he stood up. He managed to draw his twin swords with the scythe like attachments. he managed to block most of the blows, but he was sluggish and slow due to the blows to the head. The orange one jumped and kicked the blades, dropping jack defense, and the second kick connecting with his head, and he dropped to the floor again. He didn't get up. The other two continue fighting, and were soon joined by John, Vinn, Jura, Meia, Dita, and Hibiki. After they all joined together, it took about 15 minutes to subdue the man. Once he was tied up, they carried him, and Jack, back to the 'Supernova/Nirvana'. They threw the orange haired man into the brig and Jack in the infirmary. Jack was a little dazed, put with no lasting damage.

"What do you mean no lasting damage? My head feels like it is going to split open!" he yelled groggily as the drugs took effect.

"Yeah, he's always going to be an idiot! That sounds lasting to me!" Barnette told the doctor, and jacks head just kind of bobbed around, not quite with it.

"Yeah, I know…" he slurred, and passed out.

End of chapter five. Sorry it's a short one, but I'm working on some others too.

Digimon and tale of syphonia.


	6. Severing Normalcy

Vandread, The Next Empire 

Sequel time, part 6!

Disclaimer: I don't own Vandread.

**#6: Severing Normalcy**

"So, what is the meaning of life?" Jack asked, moving his pewter dog to the space counted out by the dice.

"To go out in a massive and spectacular way, that will still be impressive in 20 years." The older Jack said, doing the same.

"No, not my life, all life, I'll buy it." He picked up a property card.

"I don't know, I'm just a manifestation of your opinion of the way things should be. HA, I get a card, and you go to jail!"

"Damn it!" The little girl yelled, and placed her piece on the jail space.

They gapped at the little girl, but slowly drifted back to the game as the shock wore off.

"You know, she is going to kill you." The older Jack said.

"What… Who?"

"Go already!" The little girl fumed.

"The green haired lady."

"Who, Gasco?"

"No."

"Missy?"

"No, the one who looks like her." He pointed at the small girl, who was sneaking some money out of the bank.

"What do you mean?"

"Just a feeling."

"Well, you know what they say, better to die at the hands of a friend, then to give that satisfaction to the enemy." Jack said, putting a hotel on one of his properties.

"Who says that?" The young girl asked.

"I don't know."

"Then why did you say that we know what they say?"

"Damn, what the hell is this? Haven't you ever heard of poetic license?"

"No."

"Well then, you won't know what I mean tell then… Oh damn it!" He looked at the board, and saw four hotels on the space he just landed on. He looked down to begin counting out the money, but saw his hands fading. "Well, looks like we're about to land, see you later, new game next time, no continuations!" Jack yelled, as he disappeared from the field.

The drop ship his a spot of turbulent air, and shook violently. Jack woke at the bump. He had been fighting and getting his but kicked for three days now, and hadn't had much sleep other than the drug induced one he had gotten when he had had his head kicked in. First the Green haired Missy girl, then the orange haired kicking dude, and now he was descending onto the surface of the planet where the red Controller awaited. He shook his head, and wiped the trail of drool snaking out the corner of his mouth.

"What an idiot." Barnette called, crossing her arms over her safety harness, which was lifting and separating, to say the least.

"Yeah, well, you'd be a bit dim if you had got your head kicked in yesterday."

"No, you were an idiot before then, to."

"Really? Then at least I'm consistent." Jack gave a stupid grin. "So, about last night, was it as good for you as it was for me." This caught the attention of the other occupants of the compartment, who were all thinking they were following in Jura and Vinn's footsteps. Meia and John were there, as were several seasoned soldiers who all grew up with men and women, and they figured they were going to get a raunchy story from their CO.

"What do you mean? I was doing allot better than you, I was on top the whole time!" Judging by this, the men weren't going to be disappointed.

"Worked just fine for me, I was just glad to be doing it with someone else for a change."

"You mean you did it by yourself? How do you manage that?" Meia gapped at Barnette, and after hearing some of the things the others had said, it sounded as if Barnette really had done what everyone was thinking. John just placed a hand on her shoulder, and shook his head.

"What do you think I have hands for? I do it with myself almost every night! It's easy, but allot of the time, it's over really quickly." The group watched, waiting for details.

"I just don't get it, how do you play one sided monopoly?" Barnette said, and the rest let out a collected, exasperated sigh.

"Well, it's not always monopoly, it used to be chess, but I lost at that too." Barnette was set to reply, but the pilot's voice broke over the intercom.

"Touchdown, all ashore that's going ashore." The ramp descended, and the troops piled out. They were on the edge of a city, a large palace dominating the center. A large wall with a section blown out separated them from the city. As the thunderous roar of the ships faded, the sound of war took its place. The crackle of assault weapons fired by hundreds of people trading fire was the loudest. The rumbling of armored vehicles faded and rose, as they zipped around the city, followed by explosions. Spaced slamming confirmed the presence of resilient armored exoskeletons, which were unharmed by the paexis energies. The thumping of stationary machine gun placements, or pillboxes, filled the air and a large explosion followed. Jack had ordered a first strike team to head in and weaken the defenses the best they could, but this city was more a giant war factory than anything. They at leased managed to secure a section of the city, fortified it, and were holding it fairly well.

Jack peered into the blown out section of the wall, and saw that things were going well for his side. The cold gray sky darkened steadily as the smoke from explosions and fires filled the sky. He screwed a long barrel and large scope to his large assault weapon, which was customizable to fit just about any situation. It could fire any kind of projectile ammunition imaginable, from regular slugs, to sniper rounds almost a foot long, which could pierce tree feet of solid steel with ease, to shotgun shells, and even a tube to launch grenades. If the situation got dicey, the gun had an air tube, so he could improvise a projectile from the environment into a deadly weapon. If the function needed to be summed up, it could put a column of dirt through an inch and a half of aluminum siding from a hundred feet. He sighted a solider on a guard tower, pouting fire at an area just out of sight. A loud crack emitted, and the round streaked forward, impacting the man's side, and blowing him apart with the force of the bronzed hollow point. The only problem was that a guard on the neighboring tower saw the thin trail of smoke issued by the projectile, and followed it to it's source. A muted cough issued, and the man toppled from the guard tower, leaving their entrance unguarded. Barnette shoulder he long, slender rifle, and dashed forward into the city, climbing into a complex building, with four other soldiers as escorts. She had developed an uncanny ability with sniper weapons, which seemed to coincide with the sniper function that fusing the 'Nirvana' with the green Paexis had done. She posted in the building, and began her precise work with the aid of two others, the remaining two covering their backs.

"Lets get two of you on those towers, and concentrate on the clusters of enemies. Take a pair of rocketeers up there to, to take the heavier troops, and weapons emplacements." Jack said, and the troops jumped into action. Another drop ship disgorged a fresh group of soldiers, and they joined the remainder. "John, you and Meia gather any offensive thing you can find, and bring it back to here, ASAP. The rest of you, I want a perimeter established, sandbags or what ever you can get to fortify this area. If the area gets to hot, fall back location is about a mile and a half that way, and is decently secured. We can't get ant drop ships in there, because they have got anti-air batteries all over, and their aren't enough people to chance taking them out." He said, and the newest group, except for one, jumped to their task. "Luke, you're in command of any option that doesn't conflict with the objectives I made. A soon as you have sufficient force, I want you to head over to the fall back position, through the forest, to avoid any turkey shots by enemy snipers. Until then, send a few troops from each drop to supplement the fall back, because they need all they can get. Once the anti-air batteries are down, call to the 'Supernova', and they will reroute the ships to drop at the fall back position. Good luck, and I'll see you when we get back." He shook his hand, as Missy walked up with more troops, her cloak still shining brightly white, even with the massive amounts of dust wafting about. Jack turned, and walked over the cracked pavement into the city, pausing to shoot anything that tried to impede his progress.

Luke eyed the group of soldiers under his command.

Half of you, follow the forest to the spot to the fall back position, and help them out, the rest of you start helping the others build defenses, and gather weapons." They filled off, half outside the city walls, the rest clearing debris, or scavenging weapons from fallen enemies or comrades. He then turned his attention to the green haired girl next to him. She was strikingly pretty, and wore her hair in an attractive spiked fashion. Her white cloak shone with almost a light of it's own. She looked up at Luke, examining him as he did her. This was only her third day with the group, and when she had been offered a place with this group, she couldn't help but except, but she still had questions.

"Why am I here?" she said, not knowing much of military protocol, so she didn't know if it was her place to speak, but she wanted answers that Jack wouldn't give. Luke starred at her, wondering if how much to tell her, and figured that she was one of them, even if it was just because that is what Jack had told him.

"Because our leader has decided to let you join us, because he believes that you should be." He said formally. It wasn't that didn't like her, but it was just that he felt that Jack had always been a bit generous to who he gave second chances to. Three days ago, she had attacked them, after all.

"Why?"

"Because he thinks that you will be loyal to us, even though you ordered that sneak attack on us." He said in the same formal voice.

"I didn't order that attack, I'm was a new recruit, and was just onboard because they needed a controller on the ship so that someone expendable would be aboard to slow Jack down when he got here."

"What do you mean, expendable?" Luke stated, unable to imagine what she had meant.

"Cage knows that I stood no chance to defeat you guys, but he put me on the ship after finding that I had the Green Paexis in me, and just put me their as a speed bump, so to speak." She said sheepishly. Luke had never heard of something that horrible done, and he was apparently on the evil side. In all his time serving under Jack, he had never seen him treat any troop or person as expendable.

"That is terrible!" Her face lit with a creeping red blush, not used to this kind of attention, always being treated as something to be looked down upon.

"That is why I decided to help you guys out, because even after I what I was associated with, you all treated me like I was somebody special, and when I attacked Jack, he never raised a hand to hurt me." Luke looked at her, and placed a hand on her shoulder, which caused her to turn another shade of red.

"Well, we may be what you consider the evil side of this, but we at least give everyone the chance to be a person." She looked up into Luke's blue eyes with her delicate crimson ones, brimmed with tears.

"Thank you." She croacked, trying to hold back from crying.

A purple light illuminated the cracks in a large door, and with a muted explosion, the doors burst open. Jack walked into the large room, only to see a mirror that stretched the entire length and height of the room before him. Instead of his reflection, however, a man in a white cloak with short, vibrant read hair stood waiting.

"What's with the mirror?" Jack said casually, walking to within a foot of the reflective surface.

"It is symbolic." The man's voice was strong and cold, lacking any kindness at all. Another effect of the Paexis energy, Red, standing for strength and war.

"Symbolic for what?"

It show's the only way to beat me."

"Ok, first off, if we want to get anywhere with this, your just going to have to tell me what it means, because I suffered from some serious head trauma yesterday, when my head got kicked in, so I'm not to sharp today."

"Fine, it mean's that the only way to damage me, is to inflict damage to yourself. To kill me, you must kill yourself, and stuff like that." Jack took that instance to slam his fist into the smooth glass. It dented like a metal, and with a shimmer of silver, reformed into the original, unblemished surface. "You wanted to know, all your efforts will be futile, the only way to kill me, is to kill yourself.

"We'll see about that." Jack reconfigured the gun, so that the muzzle was a large tube, and with a whoosh, a grenade flew out, and exploded, scorching the surface, which returned to normal in a shimmer of silver. He tried different ammo, until he gave it up as futile, after his most heavily piercing sniper round didn't even work. He flicked his wrist, and a small knife slid into his palm. "So, if what you're saying is, that if I stab myself with this knife, you'll receive the damage I get?" He asked.

"Yes." Jack Drove the knife into his left shoulder, and blood spurted in the reflection arm, same place, staining his ivory robes red, as he grabbed it in pain. He gave a respectful huff. "Didn't think you had it in you."

"You'd be surprised at what I'm willing to do to continue my journey." He pulled the knife out, and smeared the blood on the mirror, casting away the pain and rush of warm blood. He drew a small series of lines enclosed in a circle on the mirror.

"What are you doing?" The red haired man asked, eyeing the design.

"An experienced controller like you doesn't know?"

"I only use my powers to destroy the evil ones, not for vanquishing the light."

"Well, if you say so. This is a special circle that when used properly, can modify the properties of an object, to do all sorts of things." He placed his right hand, palm flat on the blood circle. Purple energy traced along the lines, etching them in the mirror. Purple light strobed, and an explosion erupted from the area. When the dust settled, several small cracks appeared where the circle had been. They then flashed silver, and repaired. "That is how this mirror was created, and how the powers connect the two off us via damage link." Jack said, admiring the piles of rubble his explosion created.. One piece of rubble didn't match the rest, though, but he didn't notice it. It was a small, metallic cube. Barnette walked into the room through the shattered door.

"Hurry up and finish this!" She called, not noticing the man standing behind her, pistol leveled at the back of her head. Jack watched the muzzle flash behind her head, heard the retort echo around the room, saw the blood seep from the hole in her forehead as she collapsed. He ran over to her after laying waste to the gun touting man, until he was nothing more than a red smear on the floor, and rolled her over face up. Her lifeless eyes saw nothing, staring straight up, still showing the shock generated by the round that had ripped through her skull. The man behind the mirror collapsed, grabbing his chest, as a pain worse than anything he had ever felt before tore through him, the pain of a broken heart. His vision blurred, and he blacked out as the pain grew, the comfort of sleep enveloping. Cracks appeared all over the mirror, and it shattered, leaving the man on the floor covered in it's glistening fragments. Luke rushed into the room, flanked by a dozen soldiers who began sweeping the room with their rifles. Four of then rushed over to the red haired man, and tying him up with the metal ropes. As they rushed out carrying the unconscious prisoner, one of them stepped on the metal cube, shattering it into tiny pieces. The Barnette Jack was holding flickered and faded, as the real one walked in, rifle slung over her shoulder.

"What an idiot." She sighed, as jack looked up.

"What?"

"When you made that explosion, we through in a hollow cube, and it projected the one thing we knew would stop you, without any physical harm." She explained slowly. "It was Missy's idea, seeing how you reacted when you saw the man with the knife at my neck, an we just took it a step further. But no we have to leave, their just waiting for your orders."

"Good, well, I think we can leave them alone, we got what we came for."

The drop ship's engines roared to life as it lifted of the ground. Jack was going over casualty reports, which were pretty good, considering what they had been up against. He was still a bit upset over the holo-cubes images, but was just happy Barnette was still with him. He noted that Jenny was among those that had not returned from their attack, pity, she was a fine officer. He looked around the compartment, which was less occupied then earlier, but that was only because it was the last ship to depart. John sat in the front with Meia; both their faces stained with soot, looking over some of the equipment they had procured. Barnette was next to him, staring out the opposite side window, as the stars replaced the gray sky of the planet. The biggest surprise was Luke, who had a head full of spiky green hair resting on his shoulder. The fleet was grouped a ways away from the planet, because it was believed that the enemy had possibly had anti-space weapons arrayed on the surface. He put away his data pad, and placed his arm around Barnette's shoulders. She moved in, and was asleep within minutes, the strain of a long day taking over. Jack put his head back, and allowed sleep to take him, remembering how his older image thing had told him Barnette would be the death of him. He brushed it off at the time, but it seemed to have more credit now.

THE END OF CHAPTER SIX

EMAIL ME WITH QUESTIONS OR SOMETHING! I'M BORED.


	7. Spectacular Expectations

Vandread, The Next Empire 

Sequel time, part 7!

Disclaimer: I don't own Vandread.

**#7: Spectacular Expectations**

Meia was sitting alone in the mess hall of the 'Nirvana', sipping a steaming mug of coffee. Everyone else was using the mess hall of the 'Supernova', as it's facilities were much larger, and all the female crewmembers not yet with a man, wanted to spend as much time associating with them as possible. It was the night after they had defeated the White side red controller, and she was content to just lounge around. She was in her slender black and white jumpsuit, having taken off her out vest thing so she didn't feel to clustered. A door behind her hissed open and heavy footfalls gave the intruder away before he even spoke.

"There you are, your missing out on the celebration." It was John.

"I just feel more at home here." She said, trying not to sound concerning.

"Well, sure, it's nice and all, but it's completely empty. They aren't even serving food here!"

"Yes, but I'm not really hungry." She realized how distant she was sounding. She still found herself steering away from large gatherings, he old habit's still putting up a fight. John sat down next to her, and looked her over. She did look a lot less intimidating without her shoulder pad things, but John liked the rare occasion when she wasn't wearing it.

"All this good and evil stuff is confusing." She stated, putting her back to him, and leaning on his side. "I don't even see the difference sometimes."

"What do you mean?" he asked, putting his arm around her stomach.

"Well, all through life, we are told that men were the ultimate evil, and we were supposed to treat you as the enemy at all times. Were as our own people were good, to be treated as family, and never looked down on."

"The same with us." He mumbled, wondering where this was going.

"But no we are all here together, some more than others, but still working together against a common enemy.

"Ok…" he wanted her to continue, because it was his firm belief that you always felt better when you got things out into the air, and off your chest.

"All this time we have been friends with Jack, and trusting that he was on our side, the good side. But then, we find out that he is in fact, an evil entity, yet we still follow him, and his actions seem to be for the best. What does that mean for us? Are we evil as well?" John took a full two minutes to think this over.

"Well, good and evil is not always black and white. Even though it may seem that way on the surface, under closer inspection, you find shades of gray to leverage it out. We do what we think is right, which may seem wrong to some, but works for us. The path we travel may not always seem clear when you look down the road, but if you think your doing the right thing, then you'll be just fine." He had never known himself to be so insightful, and judging by the silence that Meia was now absorbed in, hadn't expected it either. Meia was deeply absorbed in thought, she had a bad feeling that Jack didn't have all the cards in his hand showing, and when he showed his true self, they would all be in trouble. But she decided to drop the subject, her mind at ease, and enjoy herself.

"Why is our relationship the only perfect one around here?" She asked, turning and nuzzling into John's broad chest.

"Because we listen and trust each other." He said romantically, as he stared out the window.

A brown haired girl in orange coveralls walked into the infirmary, seeing the doctor seated at a computer across the room, back to her. She cleared her throat, but he mearly sighed, thinking it was another female solider wanting to put their moves on him.

"If this isn't an emergency, I would be most grateful if you would leave, I am very busy at the moment. She figured he must have thought she was just another solider, and decided to mess with him.

"I think it might be." She said, sounding extremely seductive, though in a voice most different that her norm. Duero continued typing.

"What are you symptoms." He said in his normal, alluring way.

"Well, I got this odd burning sensation running through my skin whenever I look at you. That plus a strange gambit of emotions that also join in." She put in her most sexy tone of voice, and wrapped her arms around his neck. He saw the bare arms and stained white gloves, and realized who he was talking to.

"Well, lay down on the bed, and I will examine you." He said, in a seductive tone that sent shivers down her spine. She nothing short of leaped on the bed, lying on her back, and waited for him to shuffle over. He walked to the bedside, with his kit of doctoral supplies.

"Why is are relationship the only perfect one around here?" She asked, letting him probe her playfully in the stomach with a tongue depressor.

"Because we aren't afraid to be adventurous with each other." He smiled, and kissed her passionately.

Jura lay in her room rubbing her stomach, using Vinn's lap as a pillow. She had ultra sound pictures all over her wall, having gone to infirmary almost hourly to get a new look at her developing child. She was three months away from adding a new name to the crew roster of the 'Nirvana', and wasn't shy about showing it. She had always pursued what she liked rather obsessively, and this was just another one of those things. She had been banned from the infirmary except for once a week to get an update on her baby, and wasn't too happy about it. She had driven Barnette into hiding with her constant complaining, and almost everybody else just tried keeps a bit of space. Every one except Vinn, whom had always listened to her complaining without ever asking her to stop, or walking away, or anything like that. That was what she found had attracted her to him in the first place. She had heard that he was every bit as obsessive as she was, but had never seen him at it. She watched his eyes shifting around the room. Little thing bugging him, like an unevenly hung picture, and other stuff like that. She loved how he could control himself from just getting up and fixing it to his liking. She had recently resolved to try not to be quite as obsessive, at least not around him, anyway.

"Why is our relationship the only perfect one around here?" She asked lovingly.

"Because we have greater control over ourselves when together." He said, smoothing a bunch of her hair over his leg.

Dita was sitting on a couch in the large recreational room near the rear of the 'Supernova', thumbing through a book on animal species form the time earth was still healthy. Hibiki was next to her, dozing lightly, exhausted from the battle. He had fought the ships docked around the planet while the ground crew had done their work on the surface. An odd query from Dita brought him back to the world of the waking.

"Why didn't you like me when we first met?" She asked in a dark voice, much the opposite of her normal cheery one.

"What do you mean?" he asked, sleep hindering his thought process.

"When we first met, you ran away from me." She looked away from the book, and into his eyes, the florescent lights making her azure eyes shine even brighter. As he looked into her eyes, a ray of understanding flashed between them.

"Well, it was the first time I ever came in contact with a woman, and I was a little…" He didn't want to say the next word, but he realized that Dita wouldn't think any lower of him for his feelings. She had always done her best to make him happy and comfortable, even when he was being a huge ass. "I was scared." She just looked at him for a moment, and then wrapped her arms around him, causing the minuet blush in his cheek to a full coverage.

"Well, then, if that was all, I guess I can forgive you this time." He was about to protest, but never got the chance as she pressed her lips firmly into his. "Why is our relationship the only perfect one around here?" She asked when she finally pulled away.

"Because we were meant to be together." He said, though he didn't really know why.

Jack sat alone on the bridge of the 'Supernova', until Barnette entered. He kept his back to her, and huffed loudly.

"What's wrong with you?" She said. He kept his back to her, and huffed again as he answered.

"That was a dirty trick you played back there." He said, a mixture of darkness and sadness in his voice.

"Well, would you have preferred to have killed yourself?" she said, but had a feeling he was going to say yes.

"Of course! It would have hurt less! It broke my heart when I though it was you!" His voice cracked, and she knew he was crying.

"Well, to damn bad!" She yelled, and he turned to face her, their was something she had only seen in his eyes once before. It was on Christmas morning, right after he had told her why he was really on the 'Nirvana' in the first place. The despair that was so deeply embedded in his heart, that there was almost no hope in easing it. She didn't soften her tone as she walked forward. She grabbed him by the collar of his cloak, and pulled his face to her's. "You are such a stupid Bastard! You try to die at every possible opportunity, which tears the hell out of me every time! And now you have the nerve to pout after I stop you!" He had never seen her this angry before, and she was frightening. "What the hell is Wrong with you!"

"It's not like that." He said sheepishly, trying to drop his gaze to the floor, but brought it back up as she shook him violently. If anything, his comment made her angrier.

"The hell it isn't! You're just trying to rationalize it to make it look good for you!" It was now taking all her self-control not to smack him in the face.

"No, it is, I'd rather die, than have you get hurt because of my mistakes." His voice was small, but the most sincere she had ever heard from him. She lost her grip, and dropped him to the floor.

"And I'd rather die, than have you die because of me." She said, voicing the concern that had been pulling on her for a long while. She sighed, and dropped to her knee's next to him.

"Why is our relationship the only screwed up one around here?" she asked, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"Because, I'm an catalyst in an unstable vat of chemicals." He said, his voice grim.

"Now just you listen to me. You're going to cheer back up, and return to the Jack I fell in love with, or I'm going to beat you until you at least think your that Jack." She said, her voice showing her determination.

"Just promise me that you'll always be this damned reliable." He said, his voice still grim.

"Of course, I mean, it's your fault I'm like this."

"I didn't make you such a fat ass."

"…WHAT!" With that little comment, she proceeded with beating the living crap out of him, the first time he had enjoyed getting his ass whooped, since they first met Missy. Barnette landed the last blow, and sat back to admire her handy work. His face healed rather faster than she expected, but the purpling would last a few hours at the least.

"There, you got the love struck Jack back, and you got to beat the crap out of him." He said, lying on his back. She bent down to kiss him, but the deck shook, throwing her off, and managed to smack her face into the floor above his head. By the time she brought her face back up, Jack was in one of the seats, typing rapidly as displays appeared on the screens, some status, some camera images. A planet with blue atmosphere, and green landmasses filled one display, and 3 more showed massive warships swarming around the planet, facing them. Another display flicked open on the center screen, and three people starred down. Jack told Barnette to go and get ready for battle, and she hurried to it. The door closed, and Jack locked all the doors with a wave of his hand. Cage was foremost in the screen, and slightly behind to either side, was a woman with long purple hair, and a man with shoulder length blonde hair.

"Long time no see, Jack, but it looks like you made it here sooner than you expected. Our Intel said you weren't due for another day, I was about to send George here to intercept you." Cage said, his jovial attitude more pronounced than usual. Another face appeared in a separate screen. This face was the most unexpected one yet.

"Sorry my Intel was incorrect, sir!" Jenny said, saluting smartly.

"It is no problem, what you have told us has given a good deal of advantages over them." Cage said, watching as jack gaped at his one time second in command, who was believed dead.

"You betrayed me?" He said, a smidgen of hurt in his voice.

"No, you betrayed me!" She yelled. "I just found someone who appreciated my feelings more than some stupid little bi…" Her sentence was cut off as the metal chair Jack had been sitting in slammed into the screen, shattering it into a shower of glittering glass and arcing electricity.

"So, Jack, I see your temper is the same as always. What is it you came to visit me about?" He said, sounding happier than ever.

"I thought me might make amends, you know, bury the hatchet?" Jack said, regaining his composure.

"And why would you want that? Don't you live for death and destruction?"

"I just though it would be nice not to get my ass kicked again for awhile."

"Well, I can't do that, it is fate that we settle our dispute in battle."

"Then I would like you to do me a favor, as my brother."

"I'm listening." Cage said, his curiosity piqued.

The 'Nirvana' separated from the 'Supernova' so that it might be able to add its weapons to the mix. The crew's surveyed the scene, but held their fire, as the enemy fleet hadn't shot again sense the initial warning shot. Jacks face appeared on the 'Nirvana's' main monitor.

"Cage has given me the chance to go down to the surface of the planet, and try to negotiate a settlement, as a favor to his brother. Keep the shields up, and I'll be back soon." He clicked the screen off, and entered the atmosphere, his Vanguard carving a burning slash across the sky.

"What do you think is going to happen?" B.C. asked the Captain.

"I don't know." She said with a sigh. Meia had that bad feeling welling up in her stomach as she sat in her dread, waiting for the order to launch. After only 20 minutes, Jacks hooded head appeared on the screens again.

"We have decided to make amends, and work together to rule over the universe!" He roared triumphantly.

"Weapons lock by every ship in the system, including the earth's army ships!" Belvedere yelled from her bridge station.

"Even with your re-enforced shields, it's still enough fire power to reduce you into dust in a single volley. We will give you a 10-day head start if you leave now. What do you say?" The Captain thought for a moment, as Barnette came tearing onto the bridge, and started yelling at Jack, but he took no notice.

"Ok, we'll go. We trusted you, and this is how we get replied, huh?" the Captain asked calmly.

"Yes, well, the clock is ticking, so you best get moving." The screen blackened, and Barnette stopped yelling, and ran off the bridge, a mix of sorrow, betrayal, anger, and confusion rushing through her mind. It had been an hour since they left, when Celtic spoke.

"A message has just arrived from the 'Supernova', sent over 2 hours ago."

"Put it on the screen." The Captain said lazily. A typed message appeared, and they all read it with wide eyes. It was a shocking document, but made them all realize something.

The end of seven. Try and guess what's going to happen, and you'll be both wrong and right, because I'm always trying to do the unexpected. One of the last chapters is going to be at least partially a song, so, it's only 2 or 3 chapters away.


	8. The letter

Vandread, The Next Empire 

Sequel time, part 8!

Disclaimer: I don't own Vandread.

**#7: The Letter**

Celtic displayed the typed letter on the main screen. Everyone on the bridge scanned the letter.

_Dear Capitan Magno and other crew of the 'Nirvana':_

_I have done the only thing I could think of to save anything I have been fighting for over the past 2 years. By this, I mean to preserve the lives of you and your crew. If I allowed you to join me in the fight against Cage, my life would not be the only one to be lost. To tell the truth, Cage has been out there all this time, tracking my progress, waiting until I had so much on my plate that if he chose to strike, I would have to engage. He is my twin, and being so, has a bond that is reasonably amplified by the powers of Paexis flowing through us. In effect, I can feel that this is a fight I could not win at full strength, much less at the state I'm in now. Because he is of the "good" side of the spectrum, I have convinced him to allow you to leave, which will show you why I made it seem as if I betrayed you. I must apologise, but I felt that if I made it so that you could avoid the massive carnage to come, it will in some small way help to atone for the troubles I have put you through during my stay's on your fine vessel. Sorry for any trouble I have cuased with this newest lie, but I see that you all have the potential that need not be squandered by a idiot like me._

_Sincerely,_

_Jack Spencer_

A Gasp issued from many on the bridge as they reached they finished reading.

"Well, this certainly does shine a new light on this, doesn't it?" B.C. stated bluntly. "I guess we should stop being surprised by things like this by now. What are we going to do, Captain." The captain scratched her chin thoughtfully.

The end of chapter 8, probably only 2 more chapters left.


	9. Can you really fool love?

Vandread, The Next Empire 

Sequel time, part 9!

Disclaimer: I don't own Vandread.

**#9: Can You Really Fool Love?**

Jack walked to the throne in the center of the large room. He held his hand out to his brother standing in front of the ornate chair.

"What's this?" Cage asked, his hood over his head, as was Jack's.

"I want to shake your hand." Jack stated bluntly, wondering what Cage's problem was.

"Why, is this some sort of trick?" Cage was eyeing his evil counter-part suspiciously under his hood.

"Because, you let my friends leave without hurting them. If it was me, I would have just blown them away the first thing if I had found they were important to the enemy."

"Well, a real man would never strike down a group of unarmed woman." He finally clasps his gauntlet with Jack's, and briefly shook it. With that gesture, Cage swung his other arm in a circle and swung the sword that had appeared at Jack's head. Jack pulled on Cage's arm, pulling himself in a slide between Cage's legs. He flipped off his back and tried to bury his pointed toe into the top of his skull. Cage moved to the side, and Jacks boot dug into the ground. Cage slid his boot under Jack, and kicked him into the air, and blasted him into a computer console against the wall with blue energy. Sirens started going off, and the speakers started brood casting self-destruct warnings. Jack rose from the floor, dusting himself off.

"Well if that isn't the most cliché plot line of all time. Let me guess, we have five minutes before it blows."

"Ha, that's only when the bad persons base explodes, because they want to limit the time their enemy's have to escape. I however have set it for three hours, so my personnel can get their stuff and get out early, while I still have enough time to disable my opponent so that the explosion kills them, and not me." Thus they engaged in combat more fully.

The ships above the planet were engaging one another. Missiles left lines of exhaust and impacted ships, pot-marking the armor plates and detonating engines. The weapons system's on three of the largest White side ships warmed and began to crackle with energy. The shifted from a hellish red, to a brilliant white, preparing to discharge into the 'Supernova'. Lances of energy impacted all three, two different colors to each, as they became rolling piles of hellfire and scrap. The 'Nirvana' glided through the flaming wreckage and heading toward the planet, smaller attacks being absorbed by the shields. A small cluster of drop ships descended toward Cage's complex.

The drop ships landed outside, and dispensed clutches of heavily armored troops, known as 'Liberators', for their ruthless efficiency in completing their tasks. No sooner had they entered the building then the crackle of automatic weapons ripped through the rumbling of the collapsing building.

Jack and cages battle was still raging strong after almost 3 hours. The swords clashed loudly, but less frequently, as both combatants were exhausted. They both had cuts, bruises, and were spattered in blood. They had discarded their cloaks, choosing to go with skill, and not their power infused clothing. The doors to the hall burst open, and in walked the worst possible thing that could have. Barnette was standing there, rifle leveled, but she kept shifting her aim from one to the other. Her mind was racing, as they stopped fighting, all distinguishing equipment being cast away and stared at her

"Shoot him!" One said.

"No, shoot him!" The other one said.

"I can't tell which is the real one!" She was panicking, seeing the timer, which said there were only around fifteen minutes before detonation. "Say something only Jack would know!" A sly smile spread across both their faces.

"I love you!" One yelled.

"I love you more than life!" The other yelled, and she shifted her aim back to the one who hadn't elaborated.

"I gave you the silver pistol, my most treasured possession!" He aim shifted back.

"I also gave you the box and model off the Sol system!" They both knew their stuff, and she had to wait for one to slip up.

"I tried to steal the blue Paexis and tried to kill everyone!"

"I saved you from the harvest by trying to blow myself up!"

"You kneed me in the crotch when I woke up!"

"I made you the green controller!"

"Jura is pregnant with Vinn's child!"

"That's it, this is taking too long, just shoot us both so you can get out of here!" With that, Barnette knew who was who, and shot the one who spoke last. The other grabbed the gear closest to him and ran over to her.

"Good choice, how'd you know it was me?"

"Because the evil one would never want to sacrifice himself." They ran out, and into the last remaining drop ship, and into the sky, where all that was left of Cage's fleet was glittering wreckage. The sky shook violently as the Castle facility erupted in flames, and the drop ship docked with the 'Nirvana'.

The dust settled from the Castle base, to show a lone figure holding a black cloak. A bleeding hole was centered in his chest, as he threw wreckage aside with a wave of his hand, until he found a pair of metal gauntlets.

"If that Son of a gun thinks that he can just run off, and leave me with this tattered rag and crappy gauntlets, He is gravely mistaken. That Damn girl shoots me just for being myself, she'll pay to." He mumbled to himself, and ran off, leaving the shattered compound behind.

"So, Jack, I'm glad you didn't betray us again, but why did you grab the white robe?"

"Because, I didn't think could beat him, and it proves that our love for each other will always win!" His voice seemed more formal than normal."

"Well, I'm just happy your back, no go see Duero so he can patch you up."

"Ok dear, I'll see you later tonight." He turned on his heel, and walked out. Barnette was a bit mystified; he never called her anything but Barnette unless he was joking around, but after three straight hours was enough to throw anyone off.

THE END OF 9!

"Hey! That ending sucked! What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Well for one, I'm talking to a voice in my head!"

"Oh, so now you're just talking to the voice in your head?"

"You're the same voice!"

"oh yeah, anyway, go on with you stupid little briefing."

"Thank you, anyway, The next chapter will be a song by Rise Against, so sorry this chapter was kind of weak, but I need to close it out."


	10. Like the Angel

Vandread, The Next Empire 

Sequel time, part 10!

Disclaimer: I don't own Vandread.

**#10:Like the Angel**

Barnette sat on the shore of the environmental area's lake. She laid back, on the soft, moist sand, staring at the stars winking down from the heavens. From the shadows of a tree, Jack emerged, his normal gear missing, with the exception of the metal boots, which left deep groves in the sand. Barnette made no notice of him, though the noise of the shifting sands was enough to make her shift her attention. He plopped down next to her, and then lay on his back as well. The gentle lapping of the waves caused a drowsy effect to grip her.

_They turn the lights down low, in shadows hiding from the world, only coming out when it gets cold. Seas part when they hit he floor, voices carry on and out the door, everything they touch turns into gold._

Barnette stared over at Jack, who was staring up at the dome above. Jack was different, though she was sure that it was just effects from losing his twin, and the fierce battle that he had conquered him. His speech was more formal, and he was using pet names all of the time.

_Like the angel you are you laughed creating a lightness in my chest, your eyes they penetrate me, (Your answer always maybe,) That's when I got up and left._

Jack looked over and into her eyes. There was something different in them. There was gentle warmth generated from deep within, accompanied by a vague happiness. The old Jack's were filled with a grim determination and focus.

_A beating heart and a microphone, a ticking clock in an empty home still tells, of these times so long ago, even though I've come so far, I know I've got so far to go, and any day now I'll explode!_

She placed a bare hand on her shoulder, and felt the warmth of his hand spread from the contact. Wait, Warmth? Every time she had ever felt Jack's hands they had been freezing cold. Could a fight have really changed him that much?

_Like the angel you are you laughed creating a lightness in my chest, your eyes they penetrate me, (Your answer always maybe,) That's when I got up and left._

See sat up, him following her motions.

"I want you to show me something." She said, her voice grim.

_And each and everyday, will lead in to tomorrow, tomorrow brings one less day without you, but don't wait up, just leave the light on, cause all the roads that I might take will all one day lead back to you._

She held her hand out, and an orb of green energy floated over her palm.

"Show me yours." He held up his hand, and an orb of purple energy appeared and floated above his palm. It shown with an inner bright light. Barnette found that she wasn't really surprised, or even upset that this was in fact Cage. "Get out of here." She said in a low growl. Cage stood up, and walked away. After a few minutes, a object flashed past the dome, undoubtedly an escape pod. The realization that she had shot and killed Jack, but found it stirred no strong emotions. She placed her head in her hands. She was so used to this by now, she just wanted to have herself whole again, but just sufficed to think.

_Like the angel you are you laughed creating a lightness in my chest, your eyes they penetrate me, (never cease to amaze me) That's when I got up and left._

THE END OF CHAPTER 10! Anti-climactic ending eh? If your wondering why cage just left, it's because he's on the good side. A final Story will finish this series out, so… yeah.


End file.
